McLauchlan's Macedonian Musings featured on the Popova Kula Winery website!

I was searching for where one could purchase North Maceodnian wines here in the US (for a Fulbright Association reception/wine tasting event), when I happened upon my blog featured on the Popova Kula Winery website!

http://www.popovakula.com.mk

During my search I learned that there ARE some places in the US where one could purchase Popova Kula wines -- but -- not here.

Here is more from the original post:

Demir Kapija: Popova Kula Winery

On our way back from the archeological site Stobi, we stopped at the Popova Kula winery (the self-proclaimed "Temple of Wine").

It was an overcast (and drizzly) day, but still the views of the vineyards in the mountains were spectacular.  We enjoyed a tasting on the (covered) patio, overlooking the grounds (and the events that were taking place that day).  We sampled the Altan, Stanushina Rose, Prokupec, Vranec, and Muscat Ottonel.

Our server told us that there is a Museum of Wine in Demir Kapja. I found the website, here -- http://www.museumdk.mk/index.php/en/about-us/about-museum 
 
We were not able to add that museum to our itinerary on this excursion, but, would be fun to do on a return trip.

About the location, from the Popova Kula website:

"The Popova Kula Winery and vineyards are located on the south slopes of the Grand Hill (Veliko Brdo) west of the lovely town of Demir Kapija and close to the highway E-75.

Demir Kapija valley lays on the southeast part of the Tikveshiya  grape growing sub-region that is a part of the Povardarie region.

The oldest archeological findings proving that people in this area have grown vineyards and have made wine date 13 century b.c.

It is a location with excellent climate and perfect soil for grape growing.

King Aleksander Karadjordjevic had a kingdom that stretched across present day Macedonia, Serbia, Croatia,Bosnia and Slovenia, including the Adriatic coast and Panonian Valley. He had vast possibilities to choose from for the location of his vineyard.  However, following the advice of trusted consultants King Aleksander chose wisely and planted his first vines in the micro region of Demir Kapija on exactly the same location where we have our vineyards today."

The website also explains the origin of their name:

"To remain faithful to the people and historical fabric of the region, our winery was named after an important tower, the Popova Kula (Priest’s Tower) which once served as an important checkpoint on the old Roman road that passes next to our location.

The Popova Kula served as important markers of the region but has since been destroyed.  In tribute we have erected a new 17m high tower and named the winery Popova Kula."

Here is the Popova Kula website:  http://popovakula.com.mk/

and the Popoval Kula facebook page:
 https://www.facebook.com/Popova-Kula-Winery-301452074622/

I note on their website a link to how to buy the Popova Kula wines in the US -- and it looks like they can be shipped to Florida. So we will be able to enjoy a Macedonian Vranec after we return home.

 

 

my daughter enjoyed playing soccer with other kids while we enjoyed the wine and cheese

 

Guest Speaker in USF Women and Politics class -- Tanja Tomic

This week in my Women and Politics course at USF (in St. Petersburg, Florida) we considered why women are underrepresented in American politics -- and why so many other countries outperform the US in terms of the number of women in elective office.  One of the structural factors we considered was whether there were gender quotas. (Half of the countries in the world today have some form of an electoral gender quota.)

We were so fortunate to have join us live from Skopje, North Macedonia TANJA TOMIC

Ms. Tomic is a gender expert with experience working on gender issues over 15 years. She has held elective office at the local and national level, as member of municipal Council, member of City council, member of Parliament.  She has also served as trainer on different projects, such as Political Academy and School on gender activism and different IRI, NDI and ODIHR workshops. 

 

She has a wealth of experience and knowledge about women and politics in North Macedonia and beyond.  As we were considering women in politics from a comparative perspective, it was so helpful to have a former parliamentarian and party leader to explain how things like the gender quotas work in practice.

First, she explained the structure of the government in North Macedonia. 

You can learn more about North Macedonia by checking the CIA's World Factbook:

https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/north-macedonia/

And then she talked about the development of women's organizations that led to reforms such as the introduction of gender quotas. And explained how these quotas work in the Macedonian parliamentary system.  

While the quotas have increased the number of women in politics in Macedonia (currently MK ranks 29 and the USA ranks 67, in terms of % of women in the lower house of the national legislature), Ms. Tomic reflected on the challenges faced by women in politics - and issues that still need to be addressed as it relates to women's empowerment.

For global rankings of women in national legislatures that is updated monthly, see this site compiled by the Inter-Parliamentary Union:

 https://data.ipu.org/women-ranking?month=1&year=2021

 

Women elected officials still have to strive to be taken seriously and often are harassed on social media.

Here is a children's textbook portrayal of different careers, with women and men depicted in traditional gender roles.

International Human Rights Day - Guest Lecture - International Balkan University in Skopje

It was a pleasure participating in International Balkan University's International Human Rights Day program as a guest lecturer. 

Thanks so much again to fellow Fulbrighter Ass.t Prof. Dr. Natalija Shikova for the invitation

For more about International Balkan University in Skopje, see https://www.ibu.edu.mk/
 

 

 

 

 

Special Delivery: Hard Copy of the Article in the Годишник на Правен факултет Јустинијан Први (Journal of the Faculty of Law Iustinuanus Primus UKIM): "Presidential Correspondence During the Clinton Administration"

What a treat to open my mail and receive a package from North Macedonia -- by way of Scotland --

a hard copy of the journal

Годишник на Правен факултет Јустинијан Први  

(Journal of the Faculty of Law Iustinuanus Primus UKIM) 

that includes my article

"Presidential Correspondence during the Clinton Administration: Staying in Touch with the American People"

Thank you so much, Professor Karolina Ristova-Aasterud, for sending this!

 

International Human Rights Day -- Guest Lecture -- International Balkan University -- "Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the Jurisprudence of Equality"

I am looking forward to joining the Faculty of Law at International Balkan University for International Human Rights Day. Thanks so much Professor Natalija Shikova for the invitation!

 

 

JUSTICIA: International Journal of Legal Sciences -- reviewer

Delighted to serve as a reviewer for the University of Tetova's law journal

JUSTICIA: International Journal of Legal Sciences

Thank you to my colleagues in the Law Faculty, especially Professor Jusuf Zejneli , for the continued cooperation 

 For more information about  JUSTICIA 

 

 

Pre-Departure Orientation -- for Outbound Fulbrighters

This week I was privileged to be a presenter/facilitator at the US Department of State's Pre-Departure Orientation for outbound Fulbrighters -- for the North Macedonia Country Session.

Prior to leaving for Moldova and more recently before leaving for North Macedonia -- the most valuable part of my preparation for my Fulbright Scholar awards was the Country Session at the PDO -- during which you have the chance to learn from those who are recently returned from the country where you are going.  It really is a pleasure to do whatever I can to ensure that the future Fulbrighters have an easy transition to their work in North Macedonia.

This year, our session was virtual -- and organized via a zoom meeting.  I loved meeting the 2020-21 group of  Fulbrighters as well as to see those from the 2019-20 cohort.   We missed out on the informal opportunities outside the country session we had to socialize and answer individual questions over lunch breaks or coffee breaks.  Still, we are available by email/text/phone/facebook - and are ready to answer any additional questions - outside this Country Session.

Some of my "show-and-tell" Macedonia tour books

One bonus of the zoom meeting format -- we were able to hear from Gazmend from the US Embassy in Skopje! There really is no better resource